Articles and comments by Fadi Zanayed, a Moderate Palestinian, about the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tearing Away at the Israeli Conscience

I have argued that one of the reasons why peace between Israelis and Palestinians is elusive is because of the Israeli feeling of superiority toward Palestinians. A recent Israeli Military Court case and the Israeli position with regards to the international indictments about to be handed down in the investigation of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri prove my point. Israelis condescendingly believe that a Palestinian life is of a lesser value than an Israeli life. My reasoning for my views has been expressed in my article Hatred, Superiority and the Israeli Mindset which can be found at http://fadizanayed.blogspot.com/2011/12/hatred-superiority-and-israeli-mindset.htmlThese two matters need to be exposed in order to bring Israel down from its perceived superiority.

The military court case involves Israeli soldiers who knowingly forced a non-combatant nine-year old Palestinian boy to open a number of bags they thought could contain explosive materials during the Israeli offensive in Gaza in 2008. The military court handed down light sentences to the soldiers, demoting them from staff sergeants to the rank of sergeant and handed them suspended sentences of three months each for in inappropriate conduct. (See Tibi: For Israel, the life of an Arab has less value,http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/tibi-for-israel-the-life-of-an-arab-has-less-value-1.325892.) Although the bags eventually turned out to be free of any explosives, the psychological scars this boy will have will last a lifetime.

In the Lebanese matter, Jonathan Spyer argues in his article Only hard power talks in Haaretz.com,http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/only-hard-power-talks-1.325493, that “the most likely scenario is that the issuing of indictments will usher in the latest act of surrender and retreat by the West and its allies in the face of the Iran-backed regional axis.” Spyer wants Hezbollah to turn over any of its officials in the event of an indictment but neglects to address whether Israel will or should turn over any of its officials for war crimes committed in the Gaza offensive in 2008. The Israeli feeling of superiority allows it within its collective mindset to be hypocritical without really acknowledging it. As I have stated in earlier articles, Israelis need to search their souls and hearts.

I bring this Israeli military court case and international indictment matter in Lebanon to the attention of my reader because I have also argued that unless the Palestinians achieve parity with the Israelis, they cannot make the demands necessary when negotiating peace with the Israelis. I have stated that because of this lack of parity, Palestinians have ridiculously accepted limited authority in limited areas. In addition, Palestinians have allowed the Israelis to continue the talks endlessly by making new demands and negotiating interim agreements rather than final status talks.

Thus, with this article I am exposing the hypocritical superiority that Israelis feel. Palestinians must not allow Israelis to feel superior to them. The value of a nine year old Palestinian child is immeasurable. The demotion of the soldiers with a suspended 3 month sentence is ridiculous and undervalues the harm that these soldiers inflicted upon this poor child. Palestinians need to speak up and expose this injustice. Deputy Knesset Speaker Ahmed Tibi should be applauded for speaking up and exposing the devaluing of a Palestinian life.

In wanting Hezbollah to turn over its officials in the event of international indictments and then arguing that killing 1400 Palestinians in the Israeli operation in Gaza is not contemptible and not subject to international criminal charges of its officials, Israel is being duplicitous. Israel would like the West and its allies to prosecute its enemies in one face but it is not willing to submit its criminals to the same prosecution in another face. This double standard needs to be exposed for Israel needs to be humbled.

Palestinians must continue to tear away at the conscience of the Israelis until they come to understand that they are no better than any other race or nationality. By so doing the Palestinians will be that much closer to establishing parity with the Israelis, i.e. only then will Palestinians negotiate with the Israelis as equals.

About Me

Fadi Zanayed is an author, poet, community activist and an attorney since 1985. A graduate from Loyola University with a B.S. in Managerial Accounting and a minor in Political Science in 1983, he received his law degree from Loyola School of Law in 1985. A Palestinian American whose family originates from Ramallah, Palestine, Fadi Zanayed is an active and proud member of the Arab American community with a long history of community leadership and service. They include: Founding Member of Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.; Former Regional Director & Past President, Chicago Chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Past President of the Chicago Chapter of the Palestinian American Congress; Past National Secretary of the Palestinian American Congress; Past President of the Chicago Club of Ramallah, Palestine; Past Member of the Board of the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine; Past President of the American Youth Federation of Ramallah, Palestine. He is the author of Cycle of Frustration: A collection of poems about Palestine; and Betrayal, Sorrow and Tomorrow (pen name: Chris F. Wollinks).